With Perth's population growing at approximately 100 people EVERY DAY, you would think it would be in the public interest to open a few more bars here and there. In Perth, the reality is, your chances of opening a new small bar or tavern are very, very slim. Sit down, pour a drink, settle in. Have you checked the rather sobering liquor licensing decisions made over the last few months? Here's a summary: DENIED. Essentially, every liquor license application hinges on this: "if the application is granted, harm or ill-health might be caused to people or any group of people due to the use of liquor". Yes, people might get drunk. That's what people do at bars. I swear I'm living in Bizarro World. Anyway, on top of that, if your application is denied (it will be), you probably won't be able to re-apply for three years. Meaning, you only have one shot at getting it right. Between September 2008 and November 2010, the applications for twenty-two new small bars were denied. However, in December, 2010, things took a very drastic turn for the worse. Read on, to see how some of Perth's most respected restauranteurs, hoteliers, and entrepreneurs have been denied their one shot.

Nic Trimboli is a mainstay in the Perth restaurant scene. Balthazar, Il Lido, Duende. 25 years in the game. Not to mention, a director of Little Creatures. Nic spent a big chunk of change (perhaps six figures) developing the concept for "The Latin", to be housed diagonally opposite the Brass Monkey Hotel, William Street. The EPRA rennovated property would be used as a restaurant, a bakery, a provedore/fromagerie (that's a specialist cheese shop to you and me), I was told a Brazilian BBQ out the back, and, unfortunately for Nic Tromboli, a bar. Planning to close at midnight each day, Nic's application included self imposed decisions to "lockout" at 11.15, not sell shooters, and not sell beer on tap. Although any real bar will supply beer on tap, Nic obliviously had a whiff of how difficult it is, to get a license in this town. "Yes, you can buy beer in THAT glass, but not in THAT glass". You can have a "small glass of liquor" but NOT a "shooter". This is where it gets very, very, fucked.

Probably Barry Sargeant's Cat

In the heart of the entertainment district, on the corner of James and William Streets, Northbridge, Mr Barry Sargeant ruled against the application, questioning "whether there was a public need for the business". Seem's it was all Nic Tromboli's mistake - he needed to provide evidence to prove that the public had a need, in Northbridge, at a restaurant, to drink. What. The. Fuck.

I know what some of you are thinking "you're exaggerating, there must be more to it than that". No, there isn't. The assumption is, that nobody in Northbridge wants to buy alcohol. Or, word for word, from the application on the Department of Liquor Licensing and Gaming website:

"The Commissioner of Police noted that “the applicant has provided no supportive evidence that any person working near the proposed premise or any other member of the public patronising the vicinity of the proposed premise has any requirement to purchase liquor or that any persons would find it convenient to purchase liquor from the proposed premise."

He added a little insult to that injury:

"If the particular application was granted ill-health may be caused to people or any group of people due to the use of liquor, and therefore contrary to the public interest”

I could probably finish this article at that. It's game over man, game over. But really, I want to fucking ram it home how ridiculous and out of touch with any semblance to reality the Department of Liquor Licensing and Gaming is.

Alluvion is a new building located in the Perth CBD. Lidia and Christian Tinelli decided that a good idea would be to open a "Champagne Bar". Really, the type of bar that on a Friday night would be chock-full of douches-in-suits, Platinum Amex cards ready, hoping to ply Cynthia from marketing, or maybe that hot new receptionist, full of bubbly in a vain attempt to get a knob polishing to brag about with Rob and Steve at the water cooler on Monday (but more likely, on Facebook). Target demographic - rich dickheads. Seriously, just reading the concept made me want to vomit. However, the important part of this application is that, by any standard of reason, the applicants actually proved that there is a need for this type of establishment.

Local businesses in the building rallied behind the proprietors-to-be. When asked for support, so that the application would meet the stringent requirements of PROVING THAT AUSTRALIAN'S WANT TO DRINK ALCOHOL, the Communications Co-Ordinator from Clough Engineering stated:

"Regarding the letter of support/endorsement for the liquor license....When do you need the letter by and what would you like it to cover? I’ll do my best to get this sorted for you."

The Director of The Buchan Group stated:

“We are aware of the Alluvion Cafe and Bar proposal, and would patronise this establishment if it was licensed, as it meets our requirements for a boutique venue within a sophisticated urbane environment.”

The Principal, of the ICU Finance Group stated:

“I am involved in finance and have numerous meetings weekly in the city with clients & lenders alike and speaking from experience I would be putting their Café/Bar at the top of my list as a meeting place for business.”

On the 16th of September, 2010, a letter of support for the application was received from LISA SCAFFIDI, THE LORD MAYOR OF THIS FUCKING CITY.

Result? Well, as the Commissioner of Police so eloquently put it:

"If the particular application was granted ill-health may be caused to people or any group of people due to the use of liquor, and therefore contrary to the public interest.”

DENIED.

It's not all bad news. The Heath Ledger State Theatre, eventually, had their license approved, with "conditions". However, the Commissioner of Police wanted this one denied as well. His reasoning (seems to be a recurring theme of idiocy going on here):

"If the particular application was granted harm or ill-health may be caused to people or any group of people due to the use of liquor, and therefore contrary to the public interest."

Want to buy a cocktail, any cocktail, at all, or maybe a double shot, of anything, at all, at Tiger Lil's bar on Murray Street, Perth? Quite difficult. Meaning, in fact, pretty fucking impossible, when one of the conditions of Tiger Lil's keeping their liquor license is:

"No spirits are to be sold or supplied for consumption on the premises in any non standard measure (i.e. no more than 30ml of spirits is permitted in any vessel)"

Yes, it's totally fucking moronic.

There are some amazing other "conditions" being put on bars. Including, but certainly not limited to, the "Cheeky Sparrow" in Claremont - which, fuck knows how, actually got a license approved very recently. As long as they don't use the following "emotive" words when describing their wares:

Laybacks

Shots

Shooters

Test Tubes

Jelly Shots

Blasters

Bombs

Chuzwazzas

Dick Towels

Ok, I made the last two up. But all the rest (and more) are quoted straight from the "conditional" license approval document. Oh, also, The Cheeky Sparrow must provide "casual seating in the form of ottomans, lounges and chairs" and, they MUST NOT be "removing or rearranging this seating in order to create dance floors." Uh huh. If there is no Ottoman present, the license will be removed. One last thing, The Cheeky Sparrow must have any music or entertainment "at a level sufficient to allow normal conversation to occur". A breach of any of these conditions (there are a stack more, including "Gourmet" pizzas being available between 12 mid-day and 10pm) will put them in breach of the license conditions. Let's see how this stacks up. The Cheeky Sparrow could lose their (rare) license to sell alcohol if:

Its 9.55PM and all they have left are Pepperoni or Hawaiian pizza's

Patrons have moved chairs, leaving a large space sufficient for dancing

No Ottoman style chairs are present

Somebody turned up the music

One more list. Reasons provided by The Commissioner, as to why various licenses should not be approved:

“It is not difficult to conceive of circumstances in which licensed premises, no matter how conducted, will negatively impact on the amenity of the area”

"licensed premises inherently give rise to anti-social behaviour and that no degree of management can effectively control this behaviour after a patron has left the venue"

"even if the proposed licensee complied with the Act and ceased to serve patrons and removed them from the premises, the patrons would then end up on the street along with patrons from other premises resulting in alcohol affected patrons impacting upon the amenity of the area."

"Information from intelligence holdings shows that between 1 July 2010 and 30 September 2010, Police had to attend numerous incidents in the CBD area."

That last one was a reason provided as to why a bar should not be approved in the Perth CBD. Because Police had to attend to "incidents" somewhere in the CBD during a three month period last year, an application for a new bar should be DENIED. Note, the Police did not describe any of these incidents, nor did they state whether they were even alcohol related incidents.

Once again, time to draw your own conclusions. Comment away.

64
comments:

Have you seen the Commissioner's profile on the WA police website? No? http://www.police.wa.gov.au/Aboutus/CommissionerofPolice/tabid/894/Default.aspxTurns out he plays guitar, you'd think a guitarist would be more in favour of a variety of drinking venues.

Seems like the commish and the DoLRG worked out that if there's nowhere to drink, the police won't have to deal with drunks. One can only imagine that immediately after that brainwave they broke out the DENIED stamp and started wearing the corners off it. It's almost like they didn't get any of the memos about how Vibrant and Dynamic Perth is meant to be now.

Its such a problem for Perth. it isn't a wonder we ar dubbbed the most boring place in Oz. To change that mindset we need more exciting venues, we need options, we need late night trading (being able to eat dinner after 9pm would be nice!) being able to do anything without the Police Commissioner stop/searching and then denying me a drink! Does he ever get laid?

I think someone should set up a facebook page to help garner support from the "interested public" who want more interesting places to enjoy ourselves in Perth. If these applications went to the broader community, 99.9% of the community would support. Let the people speak and get this information beyond the closed doors of self-interested council members. Does such a facebook page exist?

hey come on guys, perth's already exciting enough already. We've got the bell tower, um the, um zoo, and don't forget about the wheel, oh yeah right they took that away. Probably for the best, I don't think it was in the public interest. It may have caused harm... to persons, possibly even groups of persons.I for one welcome these unjust draconian rules. The last thing anyone wants is for perth to become like melbourne.

It's quite easy to open a bar as long as you're not trying to open one in Northbridge. There's about 100 places in Northbridge where you can buy booze, so of course they're going to reject anything that's not a super-niche bar because you're spoiled for choice already.

If the gorvernment didn't think that all of WA's hard earned mining tax money should be given out to all the other states rather than spent in WA where it was earnt. Perth might have the funds to pay for bigger and much better developments. Western Australian's work there ass's off working as much as 4/5th of the year away from home and instead of keeping there tax money here apparently it has to be "shared" with all other states. Why should we suffer for there lack of wealth.

it's dipshits like Karl and the numtpies over at DoLRG that are creating a sterile environment here in Perth. oh, and I don't drink anymore either, but geezus if i want a nice beer with my fucking kangaroo skewers @ creatures then what's the problem? none. god forbid i'd like to have the same experience in Perth.

Pretty obvious the Claremont one was granted because wealthy white patrons are common there, not the same thing can be said about anywhere in the CBD or Northbridge (As in you're probably more likely to hit a 95%+ white people rate in Claremont, which obviously screams "safer" to the police)

whinging about Perth's vibrancy is about as old hat as saying Perth's small bar 'scene' brings a 'little bit of Melbourne' to city. The creatives that are actually making Perth better aren't the ones sitting back and fucking whinging... they are the ones getting off their arse and having a crack while elitist wankers sit back, judge and laugh when they fail.

We all know there's a shitload of red tape to get through but the root of the problem doesn't lie with council or politicians- what's needed is a look that's a little closer to home.

Why do people think this blog is the home of "elitist wankers"? Most people reach here by searching google for "graffiti","abandoned buildings", or "yellow fever". If you have a message for elitist wankers, you're in the wrong place squagz!

This really pisses me off - I was in the city at 5:30 this Tuesday, was a nice warm evening and save for a few places, the city was mostly dead. Madness

In London on a warm summer evening, the place is heaving, bars spilling out everywhere, life, soul, fun. Perth, it seems, is not ready for such things. Go home people, we don't want the police called to the CBD for the fourth time in 3 months...

N,cheeky sparrow sign is up in Wolfe Lane Perth. the guys openning it are also openning a venue in Claremont but I think it is under another name.

Things are not as straight forward as this article.I agree that it is complicated to attain a small bar license or any liquor license but the DORGL has issued over 50 new licenses in WA in the last 12 months. the main reason people do not get the license is often paperwork that has not meet the strict criteria of the government department. Your banter about "AUSTRALIAN'S WANT TO DRINK ALCOHOL" is part of the reason people are refused licenses. It is not just alcohol that can be the provision. It must be of benefit to the area and community. For example, accross the road from trimbolis attempted ventur is The Bird, a new small bar that HAS OPENED IN NORTHBRIDGE. these guys provide and create interest by having live music every night they trade. this is something that the dept deemed of value to the community. in regards to the service of alcohol, you cannot ignore that more deaths are caused by alcohol related incidents in australia than anything else. therefore it is important that these restrictions be placed on venues. it is called duty of care and house management poilicy. it is about HARM MINIMIZATION. ask barry and he will tell you all about it. People are acting as if there is nothing new in the bar scene and you are perpetuating this view but have you checked out the following places:Five BarClarences399 BarWolfe Lane BarEzra PoundBlack BirdHelveticaAndaluzthe ByrneleighPure BarThe CabinThe SuiteThe StanleyMalt Supper ClubThe PartisanQuarter on HayDouble Lucky

I do not work for the government or barry, I sell acohol for a living and train people in the industry.

squagz - i happen to agree that it is better to do something about it instead of just whinging but are you saying that criticism is banned? a lot of people did not know some of the ridiculous conditions that small bars have to deal with and now they do. surely that isnt a bad thing?

incidentally, i happen to agree with your sentiment in a lot of cases, i just think it is wrongly directed here

wasn't particularly directing it here (although there's no doubt the negativity did inspire me) but thought it a good platform and would hope people might comment... I definitely appreciate the work, consideration and thought (not to mention the photog) that's been put into this blog... but I think the 'red tape', while completely inane, isn't the main problem. It's the fact Perth is so segregated and then segregated again... We would have to be one of the most judgemental cities in Australia. There just isn't a welcoming vibe around the place.

From a music perspective, you'd think bands would support one another in such a small place, but it seems everyone has their own little support base that they refuse to stray from. One only needs to read the PerthBands forums to understand. As someone looking from the outside in I really don't get it. So much bitterness surrounds success. Then we blame the council for nothing happening.

I'll openly admit I used 'elitist wankers' misleadingly to stir up a response ('trolling' or whatever they call it) but I wasn't specifically targeting it here. I just think the lack of support within the arts and entertainment community can't solely be blamed on politics. There seems to be a lack of support within the community itself.

I've checked out many of those bars - they all have ridiculous restrictions. All of them. Many of them had enormous problems getting the license in the first place.

Re: you list of bars - the list of taverns/pubs alone that have been closed in Perth would be twice as long as that list. Not only that, but the point of the article is how ridiculous the laws are, even if you get a license, you can't serve cocktails, patrons can't move chairs, drink standing up, etc etc etc. We're adults. We can decide when we want to drink, and where. Why is the entire community being treated like children.

By your rational we should stop selling knives, so that people don't get stabbed.

Things ARE as straight forward as this article. It's a nanny state system that clearly most people are sick of.

I think WA in general has turned into something alot like.. grandparentville. everyone seems to have eaten dinner before wheel of fortune is over, and the local badge gets heavy handed when you so much as blink out of line. im all for the rich and organic culture our city offers, but what im not all for is having the australian-ness about it taken away. a real aussie will have a few beers and go along his merry way without glassing some poor bastard -- its a sad minority that ruins it for the rest of us.

maybe they should make anti social behaviour laws harsher instead of licensing laws?

very happy to stumble across this article and subsequent dialogue today. its a regular topic of conversation for me and my friends - "why can't we have more cool bars in perth?" - but apart from general agreement on the mediocre state of our night-life, we've never really discussed it in more detail. so it's been very informative to get some insight into the specifics of the problem here. good work everyone.

btw went to Helvetica for the first time on Friday, a long sweaty wait to get in at 5.30pm (obviously some very strict limitations on patron numbers) but staff made up for it with extreme friendliness and down-to-earth attitude.

"If the particular application was granted ill-health may be caused to people or any group of people due to the use of liquor, and therefore contrary to the public interest.”

“It is not difficult to conceive of circumstances in which licensed premises, no matter how conducted, will negatively impact on the amenity of the area”

I'm infuriated because is it the small bars ( The Bird, 399...) causing trouble or the numerous large pubs in Northbridge? Go to aberdeen st and see what happens when the The Shed and The Deen close. It's a judgment based entirely on firsthand experience but I don't think many who know the area would disagree.

Alcohol doesn't necessarily cause anti-social behaviour. There are broader issues which seem to be ignored.

Rather than reject new licences, maybe there needs to be a review of current licences or the genreal strategy that the DoLRG and Police employ?

I love this sort of place. It reminds me I'm not actually alone or entirely crazy in thinking Perth is this fragmented anti-city that needs a serious injection of the urban. My died in the wool suburbanite family and friends often look at me like that when I bitch about the sleepy superficiality they love so.

Anyway, I wonder if this isn't really a nanny state thing but a status quo thing. Cops and councilors probably just see a whole lot more to do if they let in all these small watering holes. There's all the trains and cars and deliveries and people and...ugh. Much easier if everyone goes home and watches Packed to the Rafters with the beer they bought at a nice Coles or Woolworths owned former pub. No fuss, no complicated planning or management or disruption of the economic landscape. Looks good come re appointment/election time.Keep Perth Pleasant!

A pub opened near us. Sure, it's full of people having fun, getting pissed, getting laid and laughing.

Our suburb is now also full of broken glass. Burnouts after closing time, and drunken fools in the streets. For the first time in 8 years (but within 12 months of pub opening), the primary school was trashed and smashed grog bottles all over the place.

Restricting small bar licenses in Northbridge and the CBD has little to do with large "beer-barn" style pubs out in the suburbs. The answer is not prohibition, it doesn't work. Why punish the majority because of a few dickheads in the minority? That's one of the main problems with Perth and its nanny-state-over-regulation. We need to think laterally.

PS, Come live on my street if you really want to see broken glass, graffiti, and drunken fools.

I grew up in Perth, lived there for 26 years... I worked as a bouncer for 7 years and as a glassy and behind the bar. It made me sick to my stomach a few years ago... watching the liquor lisensing destroy Perth... in actual fact apart from inner city areas (mt lawley, leedervilee, subiaco etc) on a friday night the only venue in the entire northern suburbs open passed midnight is Dusk in Joondalup, which is next on the "shut down list" as i worked there and we had 12 yes 12 undercover liquor liscensing police fining bar staff if a patron SAID they were drunk... I worked at the Rock (formally the BOG) when that got closed down... what a load of crap... it was Perth last 7 day late night bar... now a thing of the past. I feel sorry for people trying to get liquor licenses... actually trying to make money out of food and alcohol, not like Poker machines in every other state.... It actually made me so sick I left Perth forever... i live in QLD now, where as long as your not "unduly intoxicated" you can run amok until you get locked out at 3am... which is where the governments control measure causes ALL the problems... apart from that it is much better and CHEAPER to go out. WA's police and liquor licensing just want everyone to stay home on the weekends so Police dont have to do there jobs... Even my parents who are in there 50's would like to move away, but they run a business there so they cant... basically WA has the worst government ever... I would actually perfer to live in a 3rd world country to WA...

As a bartender in a small bar in the city where I have only ever witnessed 2 incidents (fights) in 2 years, compared to a large tavern type place i worked with fights every fortnight. I can first handedly say the problem is not that people are drinking its how they are drinking. Its the mindset of the majority of the perth population, "I'm going out to get pissed" not to enjoy a few drinks with friends without losing control, losing control is the goal. Perth is not only a nanny state but a bogan state. Bogans ruin it for the rest of us. Small bars where patrons can be monitored much more easily as there are far fewer of them and its obvious when somebodys stumbling around or falling asleep when theres only 100 people in the place. Small bars can also educate in drinking as instead of slinging beers or bulk jacks and coke they're serving classic cocktails and actually creating new things. Its the bogan attitude of binge drinking that ruins it for all.

I worked in the industry for over 10 years including managing venues and promoting events. It was unthinkable back then as it is now, despite new laws/ license types, to open up any kind of interesting cosmopolitan left or forward venue of any size in Perth. The development of Perth's drinking culture and facilities has been retarded as a result. Our drinking culture is STILL in its infancy it has not been allowed to develop. Another two traditional stakeholders that have aided this retardation are the Cabaret Owners Assoc and HIA who wear their industry hats when objecting to each and every new license to protect their own businesses - what a pack of..... Obviously they fear competition because they are sitting so fat and pretty. Ownership in and around the city of venues is way too concentrated - just look at Entertainment Enterprises, BOSS, and whoever ownes/ operates Rise and all the businesses on that corner in Northbridge. No new blood/ investment/ ideas in Northbridge in 20 years and look what you get. Sure Bird and Ezra are credible and being used by why are there not more? Were they simply the "token" approvals to herald in all this change and progression in the not-so-dull dullsville? I cannot believe the police are given so much credibility in the area. Perhaps things will change when police can issue $200 fines for any sign of intoxication. Prhas we will need to obtain a "drinking plate" and have videos reviewed and fines will be issued based on video evidence (fine + video evidence review and administration fee).

So easy to rant about this but unfortunately - THIS IS PERTH!

The City of Perth should lead more instead of taking a back seat to the state government and police. It is soooo embarrassing hosting people new to Perth and visiting from elsewhere.

I wondered if you could give me a bit of info about some of the abandoned places in Perth you have taken pictures of. Can you tell me how you got access to them? I am particularly interested in Treasury building, Swanbourne Hospital and the Entertainment centre.

If you can't find a burger in Perth after 10pm you aren't looking very hard. I can think of two 24/7 places and one 4-5am place off the top of my head. I know there are others. Crapdonalds obviously excluded from discussion... You did say BURGER - not 'poison passed off as food' after all.

Good article bro! Perth is such a Nanna state if a business man or woman has the balls to venture out and start up a new restaurant as long as they can prove they have a decent business plan, have done the demographic research and have the appropriate licences and qualifications to run such a premises then they should be allowed to an encouraged to open a place of business. We are always looking for new places to eat, drink and relax. After a good 10 years of venturing out and trying different restaurants I feel as though we have tried everything Perth has to offer. If they gave the people more choice then we would be putting our money back into the WA economy rather than having to jump on a plane the first chance we get just to experience a little variety and choice! this should be a decision made by the local governments and by and residence not the police commissioner!!! The Australian government and police are so far out of touch with the people they might as well have some body on the other side of the world running this country. Beyond a joke!!!

Sadly this is the reason why - unless you work in mining - most of us leave Perth once they hit their mid-20s.

Having spent the last 12 years in Melbourne (an exceptional established bar scene) & Sydney (a new & vibrant bar scene) - it's quite simple. Bars provide an alternative to big messy, noisy pubs, which is ironically where I've always come across anti-social behaviour. Hand on heart - I've never seen a fight in a bar in either city.

I agree in some ways, although I avoid Northbridge most of the time because there are so many social problems in Perth that are fuelled by drinking. I heard somewhere that Perth has more murders (per capita) than any other city in Australia. Not sure if that's true or not. Perth really needs to get their current issues under control before they expand Northbridge. Although I do think that it would benefit from more alternative bars like Bird and Ezra Pound. They tend to attract the more "mature, responsible" crowd that generally don't cause major problems.

Oh and there is a new Irish pub opening up in Midland sometime in the near future. Not like anyone really cares about Midland. It's going to be owned by the same people as 7th Ave Pub.

Its great midland is allegedly getting a new pub, unfortunatly it will be the midland folk attending it. look what they did to the Junction hotel, prettied it up, renamed it but the same old bogans patronage it. No taxis in the area to get home- midland,.the forgotten suburb.

i was at an amazing asian food stall event in claremont last week, there was a bar making really good cocktails for 10 bucks, i thought fuk am i in perth this is too good to be true, and it was, the bar lisence was only granted will 7:30pm even though the stalls were open till 9pm, so after ordering their food all the mums and dads there couldnt buy a drink at all while they waited for their food, there was fukin prams everywhere yet i am sure that they would have denied the lisence extension because it was seen as being dangerous serving a fukin drink, fuk this town and fuk liquor lisencing im going to mexico

Totally agree anon, get the fuck out and go to Mexico. In Perth, everything gets more restricted as each month passes by. If you have a choice, don't waste your time here, yes, Perth is fucked. Don't look back.

Totally agree anon, get the fuck out and go to Mexico. In Perth, everything gets more restricted as each month passes by. If you have a choice, don't waste your time here, yes, Perth is fucked. Don't look back.

Totally agree anon, get the fuck out and go to Mexico. In Perth, everything gets more restricted as each month passes by. If you have a choice, don't waste your time here, yes, Perth is fucked. Don't look back.

Myself and partner moved here from Ireland over a year ago and really miss being able to go out and enjoy a few hassle free sociables. Being able to relax in a pub/bar and catch up with friends until the wee hours at the weekend is a big part of our culture and one which we really miss. Seems the WA authorities and bar security think that anyone who wants to have alcohol are irresponsible maniacs looking to cause a riot...god forbid someone should want a shot....2 years min for that crime! Its this small minded attitude which has peoples attitudes so fired up and northbridge the way it is! We really love this little city but the backwards attitudes have made us decide to save as much as we can here and then return home....silly as WA should be doing everything to keep its skilled workers so the state stays booming...mining won't last forever...!

They've got it all backwards. Perth people don't become anti-social because of alcohol. They become anti-social because of arse-over-tit backwards rules like this. Can't do this, can't do that. The nanny state drives us insane.

(1) He has little understanding of what is actually in the public's interest where he demonstrates this by the letter alone, a simpleton would quickly summarize that Karl him self did not draft and submit such a legal letter that is aimed to destroy a women's or man's dream. "If the particular application was granted harm or ill-health may be caused to people or any group of people due to the use of liquor, and therefore contrary to the public interest." and "Because Police had to attend to "incidents" somewhere in the CBD during a three month period last year" is not in my view except-able by its legal broadness. I also would wish to add it amazes me that a person with no commercial experience is able to lay comment about the Public's "need" I would have thought that in a free society we are assumed freedom of "Choice" and this raises another area of concern and should be debated in the correct forum, In my view the Police are neither qualified or commercially adapt to lay comment on what is the Public need and in saying this why should business should prove to a Government division what is it's own financial risk? I say allow the business to test what is "Public need" then and only then the question of "public need" will be tested and measured. I would hope that Karl realizes that business ideas are organic in nature and in order for a business to thrive we require require assistance fast action by the Government to keep afloat and not regulation that is self opinionated, over regulated and self indulgent.

Here in-lye's the contradiction; it would seem a man in his position would not knowingly allow his offspring to purchase, use and carry illicit paraphernalia, I believe that such behavior by a Commissioner of Police is not in the Public interest.

Maybe we should resubmit his own words back to him "If the particular application was granted harm or ill-health may be caused to people or any group of people due to the use of liquor, and therefore contrary to the public interest", and change the words "liquor" to drugs is not in the public interest, where by the very Drugs that may or may not have been carried into your home and consumed by his son could also be and not to mention lead the police to "had to attend to "incidents" relating to your sons actions. But instead you choose to ignore the real issues and punish hard working and inspired business people that wish to create social places of gather.

Guess the only logical difference here is that such licenses do not exist for Drug dealers and users and hence they need not to apply, But i should remind you that YOU ARE IN THE POSITION TO DENY drug dealers and users and your concentrated efforts to stem drug related violence you should be directed to the real issue and loosen up on the Licensing reg's. But rest assured your plight against the liberation of the people is fruitless we still have bottle shops and Facebook buddy soon to be the future of the Public's interest in fun town.

"more deaths are caused by alcohol related incidents in australia than anything else." That's just a flat lie winelover and typical of the sort of crap that gets spouted in order to justify this wowserish regime

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